Trolley-switch.



J. C. THOMPSON.

TROLLEY SWITCH.

APPLlcAnoN msn rea.' 25, 191s. RENEWED MAY 23.1916.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

j Jai/ins c. THOMPSON, or nninoYNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROLLEY-surnom i Moenia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed-February 25, 1915, Serial No. 10,556. Renewed May 23, 1916. Serial No. 99,438.

To all whom t may concern.' l y Be it known that 1, JAMES C. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lemoyne, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Switches, of which the following 1s a specilication.

This invention relates to switches to be associated with the working conductor of an electric railway, in a manner to cause the opening or closing of a circuit by thc passe. ge of a trolley or other form of current collector, which for convenience I shall hereinafter refer to as the trolley.

The invention has for its obj ect to provide a device of thisv kind which will be actuated by a bodily movement of the trolley wire developed by the pressure of the trolley, and which will, therefore, develop its movements gradually during the `approach and departure of the trolley and be very much more reliable in service and durable in use, than the so-called trigger or other devices located adjacent to the trolley wire and suddenly receiving the 'impact of the rapidly moving trolley; to which end one feature of the invention consists in supporting the trolley wire directly upon a movable member of the switch-actuating device, so that the switchactuating movement is developed from the displacement of the trolley wire (usually upward) in the passage of the trolley.

Another obj ect is to render the device eco nomical in cost by having it take the place of the ordinary trolley wire suspending device in addition to serving its purpose as a circuit closer, to which end the invention is preferably embodied in a supporting shell or housing adapted to receive any suitable type of suspending connections with their usual insulation joints, and having axially mounted therein, a plunger that carries the wire clamp, which plunger has a limited axial movement sufficient to operatey the switch, and has mountings which adapt it to support the weight of the trolley wire, as well as limit its upward movement under the trolley pressure.

Further objects relate to the details of construction of the preferred embodiment which has been selected for illustration of the general principles of the invention, and can, therefore, be more readily explained in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical axial section, and Fig. 2 a top method of putting the switch into use.

1 represents a shell or housing which may be of any suitable construction, but which is preferably a cylinder carrying attaching ears 2 for suspending wires or other connections employed in standard trolley practice. Secured to the lower end of the shell 1 is a base 3, preferably united to the shell by a threaded flange 4l. Upon this base is mounted a post 5, projecting upwardly within the shell and affording a mounting at its upper end, for the insulating block 6 of a double blade terminal 7; said post providing by its intermediate portion, a guiding slot 8 in which the movable contact 9 of the switch is fulcrumed at 10. Centrally disposed in the base 3 is the axially sliding vertical rod plunger 11, provided with shoulders 12 and 13 which limit its movements, these shoulders being conveniently provided by fitting nuts upon the plunger and securing them by pins 125,133, or by threading if it is desirable to make them adjustable. At its upper end, the plunger 11 is connected vat 14 with the short arm 9a of the movable contact lever 9 in relation' to impart a direct endwise thrust thereto, and the parts are so designed that the comparatively small range of movement permitted by the shoulders 12 and 13 will. develop a movement between the upper end of the lever 9 and the terminal 7, which is ample to break any arcing that develops in the opening of the switch. The plunger 1l is threaded at its lower end 15 to receive directly beneath it and in line with it the shank of the ordinary trolley wire clamp or any other suitable attachment that may be employed for rigidly fixing the trolley wire relatively to the plunger. Terminal 7 may be connected in any suitable manner with a wire for conducting of the current when the switch is closed, as for instance by a binding post 16 introduced through the gasket 17 and through the insulating block 6.

The device above described is used as suggested in Fig. 3, by suspending it between the guy wires 18 and attaching to it the trolley wire 19. The weight of the wire 19 normally holds the switch in the position shown in Fig. 1. But as the trolley approaches and presses upwardly upon the wire under the action of its springs, which usually develop a pressure of from twelve 

